Shopping
by mermaidgirl45
Summary: Gideon's starting his first year at Hogwarts, and Fabian is in charge of getting him his books and owl. However, Gideon's up to his usual mischief! Written for My Dear Professor McGonagall's "Sibing Rivalry Challenge."


**A/N: Again, thanks to My Dear Professor for holding this! I've dearly loved this challenge!**

**Challenge: The Sibling Rivalry Competition  
>Held By: My Dear Professor McGonagall<br>Sibling Set: Fabian and Gideon Prewett (2 of 3)**

* * *

><p>"Gideon, hurry up!" called Fabian, threading his way through the crowd.<p>

"I'm coming! _You_ need to slow down!" Gideon retorted. He skirted around a group of three eagerly chatting witches and raced to catch up to his older brother.

"No," Fabian simply said with a grin. "_You_ just need to hurry up. Here, let me see the list again."

Gideon sighed and dutifully handed it over. Fabian pulled his brother under the awning of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Gideon looked wistfully inside, but Fabian paid him no mind.

"Okay," he began cheerfully, reading over the list. "Mum said for us to get your books and your owl and then we'll meet her and Molly for lunch and get everything else." He folded the list in two, handed it over to an irritated Gideon, and continued, "But, you know how much I _hate_ shopping. It's ever so tiring. So . . . I thought'd we get a little snack first."

Gideon's mouth dropped open. "Yes!" he shouted, and hurried into the shop, Fabian right behind him.

It was cool and quiet inside, a wonderful break from choas of Diagon Alley the week before September 1st.

"Hello, there! What can I get for you today?" beamed a wizard behind the counter. He was tall, with curly brown hair and hazel eyes.

Gideon rushed forward and stared down at the dozens of flavors. "Wow!" he said, impressed. He looked up at the wizard. "That's a lot of flavors! How many do you have?"

The man considered it for a moment. "I'd say about thirty-five, forty."

Fabian looked at him curiously. "Are you Florean Fortescue?"

The man nodded. "Mhmm. Built this shop the year I graduated from Hogwarts."

Gideon, now ready for his usual mischief at the mention of ice cream, casually said, "Fabian wants to be Minister of Magic after he graduates."

Fabian turned as dark red as his hair. "Gideon!" he protested.

But Mr. Fortescue shook his head. "Anything's possible," he said agreeably. He looked right at Fabian. "If you want to be Minister, go for it. I'm muggleborn, and my parents were quite surprised I wanted to start a Wizarding business. Actually . . . they were pretty upset."

Gideon seemed a little bored with the suddenly serious conversation. "What house were you in?"

"Ah ha! I was in Ravenclaw house, where those with wit are ever welcome!" He looked at Gideon appraisingly, a wry smile on his face. "Let me guess . . . Are you starting Hogwarts this year?"

Nodding, Gideon said, "Yeah! I don't know what house I'll be in. Hopefully Gryffindor like Fabian. He's in his fifth year." He paused for a moment, considering. "Mum said I'll probably be in Gryffindor, too, because I make so much trouble."

Mr. Fortescue laughed. Fabian smiled as well, saying "Yeah, I know a few Gryffindors who love to get into mischief. You'd feel right at home with them." His eyes found the clock behind Mr. Fortescue. "Merlin, Gideon! It's almost noon! Mr. Fortescue, I'm sorry, but we're supposed to meet my mum for lunch."

He nodded, winking. "A little ice cream before lunch sounds like a fine idea. Just don't tell your mum you got it from me. What'll you have?" He reached for a cone.

"Could I have the watermelon one, please? The one with chocolate chips?" asked Gideon.

"Absolutely. And you, Fabian?" he replied, adding two generous scoops of ice cream to a waffle cone.

"Umm, I'll take the . . . Rocky Road, is it? It looks amazing."

Mr. Fortescue handed Gideon his cone, and reached for another. "Oh, it is. It's actually a muggle ice cream. Really good. Chocolate, nuts, and marshmallow."

Fabian fished in his pocket for galleons, but Mr. Fortescue shook his head. "No, no! It's okay. I really enjoyed talking with you two. I'll let you have it free if you just promise to come back and let me know how you're doing sometime."

Fabian looked surprised. "You sure? Really, we don't mind!"

"No, no, it's fine! Go finish your shopping, and be sure to tell Professor Flitwick I said 'Hello'!"

With many thanks of gratitude, and a promise to return, the two Prewetts left the parlor.

* * *

><p>" 'Sank su, Faydenin," was the wrangled reply of Gideon, who was immensely enjoying his treat. He swallowed. "You wouldn't believe how good it is."<p>

"If it's anything like this Rocky Road, I would. So then where to next? What'd be more interesting, bringing books into Magical Menagerie or an owl into Flourish and Botts?"

Gideon's eyes went wide with excitement. "My owl!" he cried.

"Wonderful! To Flourish and Botts, then!"

Gideon, half-exasperated and half-amused, followed his brother. The crowds were thick with people, but the two managed to carve their way into the building. Taking refuge in a corner, Fabian consulted the list.

"Alright, then, let's see what we have . . . _Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_, that'll be Flitwick's, got's some interesting stuff in there. _A History of Magic_, ugh, that'll be Binn's, I doubt anyone has ever read that book, and I love to read. _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_, that's McGonagall, my head of house. She's a wonderful teacher, bit strict, though. We can probably get all these in the same general area so we don't have to fight our way through. So what do you think, Gideon? . . . Gideon?

Fabian looked up. Gideon was nowhere to be seen. With a good-natured groan, he lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "Why me? Why always me?"

It took a good six minutes for Fabian to wade his way to other side of the bookstore. He found Gideon sitting on a spare chair, oblivious to the racket of the crowd as he was immersed in a thick encyclopedia.

"Gideon! Are you . . . reading?" Fabian asked in shock. Gideon was ten times more likely to be climbing trees outside, asking endless questions (which annoyed Molly to no end, but amused Fabian), or thinking up some creative, elaborate prank to pull before dinner. Anything that required patience, silence, or sitting still was much more likely to be Fabian's hobby.

It took a moment for the words to sink in, but Gideon looked up, an expression of utter delight on his face.

"Fabian, look! Look what I found!" He held up the encyclopedia so Fabian could see, struggling with the weight only slightly. "Look! It's called _A Complete and Utter Guide to Dragon Culture_! It's so cool! It's about dragons and all the different types and what they eat and look like and how they act and where they are! _Dragons_, Fabian! Can you imagine how amazing that would be? You can be Minister, but that's what I want to do when I grow up! Work with dragons or something. Please, please, please can I get it? It's, well, it's a bit much, but I'd pay you back, I promise! I really would! It has this one page where—"

Fabian cut him off, mildly overwhelmed. "No, it's okay, Gideon. I'll get it for you. Just let me get over the shock of actually seeing you with a book."

Gideon chuckled, paused, and protested, "That's not fair! I read! You know. . . Sometimes!"

"Right. _Sometimes_. Look, come on, help me get your school things, I'll get the book for you, and we can go fetch your owl."

Gideon became quite still. "I'm really going to get an owl?" he said quietly.

"Yeah," said Fabian slowly. "You're starting Hogwarts and now that Dad just became Head of the Floo Network Authority we have room for another owl and . . . " he trailed off. "Gid, you okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah . . . I'm fine! Yeah, I'm absolutely fine! More than fine! Let's go, shall we?"

Flourish and Botts had never seen a first year get their books so quickly.

* * *

><p>Fabian pushed open the door of Magical Menagerie with his free hand, as the other carried Gideon's school books. The two paused in the doorway. Gideon remembered the place from when they got Fabian's barn owl, Adesia, last year, but it had dulled in his memory. The smells, sights, and sounds, however, were now sharp in his mind. There were hundreds of animals, all sorts, cawing and croaking and shrieking. The din was unbelievable, as was the smell. The witch behind the counter was busy helping another customer, so Fabian led the way towards the owls along the left wall.<p>

Dozens of owls stood, shuffling around in small cages. Gideon's heart sunk a few inches. _To be able to fly and to be cooped up in a cage._ He imagined racing down the wall, opening doors, letting them all fly free out of Diagon Alley. He shook his head and tried listening to Fabian, who was explaining the different types of owls.

"—so you wouldn't want one of those. You know Adesia, she's a barn owl, which are wonderful. And those, those are tawny owls, which are really common. Maybe not great for letters and all as they're kind of stocky—"

But Gideon had stopped listening the moment Fabian has gestured to the tawny owls. He slowly walked towards them, entranced, and stood, gazing at the wall. They were beautiful, white with streaks of deep brown, warm gold, and solid black.

"I want one," Gideon whispered reverently.

Fabian stopped, looking surprised. "One what?"

"A tawny owl." He looked his older brother in the eye pleadingly.

"Well . . . okay, then, I guess . . . Which one?"

A owl near his left foot gave a doleful hoot. It shuffled around its cage, and tried to expand his wings. There wasn't enough room however, and after a few vain attempts, the owl stilled. It's black eyes looked straight into Gideon.

"That one," he said, pointing at it. When Fabian said nothing, Gideon glanced at him. Fabian looked completely caught off guard.

"That one?" Fabian repeated. "There's bunches of other owls Gideon, honestly all a _lot_ nicer looking. I mean, everyone's got a tawny owl, and Mum said we could get you a nice one if that what you're worried about. Really, get whichever you want. The snowy owls are beauti—"

Gideon shook his head, his voice soft. "No, Fabian, I'm getting that one." Fabian only looked at his brother, a strange expression on his face.

"Please, Fabian?" he asked desperately. "It . . . it just wants to be free! It wants to fly, can't you see? And, it's beautiful, honestly, look at it! Please, Fabian! He's perfect, honestly . . ." His voice trailed off.

"If you want him, he's yours, Gideon," Fabian replied gently. "Come on. Grab him and we'll go meet Mum for lunch."

Gideon seemed overcome. Drawing in a great breath, he picked up his new owl and carefully, ever so carefully, walked slowly to the counter and placed him in front of the witch. He sensed Fabian freeze and looked back.

"Fabian?" he asked amused. Fabian had turned slightly red and seemed to be struggling to say something.

"Fabian?" repeated the witch at the counter. She had a long, light brown braid and sparkling light blue eyes that lit up as she said, "Why, hello! I haven't seen you since school let out! How's your summer been?"

"Fine!" Fabian managed to splutter out. He reached into his pocket and hastily pulled out a few galleons. "It's going fine, wonderfully actually. How you've been?"

"Well, okay, you know," she said lightly, opening a drawer and depositing the the gold coins. Gideon noticed she didn't bother to count them. "My parents actually own this and everything, so I've been working here over the summer."

Gideon scowled, and seemed more than ready to comment on the treatment of the owls, but Fabian, seeing this, interrupted. "Well, that's great. Must be fun!"

She laughed, a musical laugh that made Fabian smile a little bit. "Yeah, loads and loads of fun."

Gideon, seeing this exchange, grinned mischievously at his older brother.

"You know, I'm really sorry," Gideon said to the witch in a would-be-apologetic voice. Fabian looked at him sharply, a slightly fearful look in his eye. "But we're actually really late to have lunch with my mum and we need to get going. By the looks of it, Fabian would _love_," Gideon stressed the word as much as possible, "to stay and chat, but he told me he hates shopping." And with that, he took his owl down from the counter, and turned to look innocently at his brother.

Fabian appeared absolutely mortified, face crimson, mouth hanging open. The witch blushed slightly, and trying not to smile, looked down at her feet.

"Yeah, I have to go feed the rats," she said, obviously trying not to laugh. "But, I'll see you in a week, alright?" She paused and looked Fabian straight in the eyes curiously, her head slightly tilted to one side.

"Yeah . . . yeah . . . definitely!" Fabian eventually managed to say. With a warm smile, she walked away to the back of the store. Fabian slowly turned to Gideon, a murderous look on his face. Seeing such, Gideon held tight to his owl and barreled out the door, Fabian right at his heels.

"I'm going to kill you!" he roared, as Gideon, almost hysterical with laughter, ran down Diagon Alley. The crowd immediately gave the two a wide path, shooting the brothers strange looks as they raced by.

"See?" Gideon cackled, with a sharp nod to the witches and wizards giving them a wide berth. "I told you we should've gotten my owl first!"


End file.
